FIVE THINGS TO KNOW: Saints vs. Gamblers 10/7

Dubuque looks to split weekend

1. Tonight marks the first matchup between the Dubuque Fighting Saints and the Green Bay Gamblers this season. One could argue the Saints' clean sweep of the Gamblers during the six-game regular season series was the reason one team made the playoffs, and the other did not. Dating back to the 2016 Clark Cup playoffs, the Fighting Saints have won nine consecutive games against the Gamblers, and will look to continue that incredible streak tonight on the road.

2. Preseason pickup Chayse Primeau dazzled during the USHL Fall Classic, and continued that strong play into his first game as a Dubuque Fighting Saint. The 6'3" centerman notched an assist in his first regular season game, a power play marker from Quinn Preston.

3. Josh Dunne, the recent Clarkson University commit, will be the player to watch for the Green Bay Gamblers. He is the only returning player to score double digit goals from a season ago, and played a largely checking role on a team dominated by Buffalo Sabres prospect Casey Mittelstadt. Dunne is a big body at 6'3" and over 200 pounds, and will be a physical force to deal with tonight.

4. GB head coach Pat Mikesch entered his fourth season behind the bench with 89 wins. He got his 90th win in a 2-1 victory over the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. Goaltender Maksim Zhukov shut the door on CR throughout the night, and the Vegas Golden Knights prospect got the victory for the Gamblers on home ice.

5. The Fighting Saints will need to improve on the penalty kill. Last night, the Chicago Steel scored on 2 of 3 opportunities. The power play looked strong, however, as they scored on 1 of 3 opportunities against the Steel. Look for an increased attention to detail on the defensive side of the puck tonight against a Green Bay team that struggled to score goals in the preseason.